Spring Cleaning
by SylverEyes
Summary: I was going through my documents and lo and behold! A whole bunch of Avatar drabbles that I never got around to posting. Anything and everything. Hope you enjoy them. [Rating may change.]
1. Thank You

This bunny has been hoping around my head for a while, and look at that!- it multiplied. Fast. Hope you like my drabble. And I hope you know who it is.

Disclaimer: Avatar never has been, and never will be mine, although I can dream.

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**Thank You**

He had betrayed me; I knew that I could never trust him.

It was just… his smile was so entrancing, and he was so outwardly nice. Not to mention that he was distinctly attractive…

But when he had betrayed me; the hurt I felt was so much, that I couldn't see past what I thought was the whole story. But I never bothered finding out, did I? No.

So when he came back, I was very mistrustful, more so than Sokka or Aang, who were absolutely ready to let him help if it would bring Appa back. I could still feel that hurt coursing through me, and I didn't want to let go of it.

But then he gave his life for us, and I saw everything clearly, everything that I hadn't seen- that I hadn't wanted to see- before. And I knew that he had had troubles with his past, and he just wanted to help others, in a twisted way.

It seemed as though he had repaid his betrayal through dying for us, although I don't think that hurt will be completely healed- it got ripped open again by his death, and I could feel it bleeding.

But I shared a lot of firsts with him- my first love, my first absolute blindness because of it, and my first heartbreak.

And for that I am grateful.

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**Author's Notes:**

Hey, it's my first drabble series. This is going to be about everything and everything that I can think of. And if it's really bugging me, and not letting me finish any chapters. So, I hope you enjoyed this. Look for some regular updates on this, because I have a whole string of them all lined up and ready to go.

Please review!


	2. Not A Brother

Second one! This was I actually do like, even though it's short.

Disclaimer: Uh... no, no and no.

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**Not A Brother**

Zuko turned his back on their uncle, and moved over to her. He didn't show it outwardly, but in his eyes was a pleading, hopeful look that made her want to sneer. But she had to do this, because she could break him again. Her favorite pastime.

When she was younger, she would have had to admit that she almost admired her brother for his resistance to her taunts, and being able to "bounce back" every time. He didn't know she did, because normally she would hide it by redoubling her efforts.

But now, now when he was running from what he had been pursuing with Iroh for more than three years now, it just made her sick.

_You're less of my brother now than you were before, Zuzu. _She thought to herself.

Because if there was one thing Azula hated more than weakness, it was a traitor to what he stood for.

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**Author's Notes:**

Hope you liked it! Please review.


	3. Mirror

Read and enjoy, my fellow writers. And now I shall go and do my homework which I was supposed to do an hour ago.

Disclaimer: No. Just plain and simple. No.

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**Mirror**

Katara stood in front of the mirror, smiling as she got dressed up for the wedding. Her chubby arms held a basket of flowers and her blue eyes sparkled.

She saw a girl with scrapes and cuts on her knees and elbows, with wild hair and a huge grin on her face. Torn shorts and a t-shirt were sopping wet, evidence of the water fight she had so recently participated in.

She saw a sullen teen with thin cuts on her wrists and depressing clothes and make-up. She saw a young woman who was destroying her life.

She saw a struggling scholar, trying to get through college. Glasses rested on her nose, and comfortable, casual clothes adorned her, and a laptop rested under her arm.

She saw an accomplished woman smiling happily with her husband standing behind her, arms around her and kids laughing and running in the background.

She saw an elderly woman who hadn't made the best choices in her life, who made a couple of mistakes that changed her course for good, and who knew that if she could have done it over, she wouldn't have changed anything.

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**Author's Notes:**

Review please, and tell me what you think. I was in an odd mood when I wrote this.


	4. Comfort

I like this one. For some reason this just sort of popped into my head and I had to write it. Please read and enjoy, and then tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: Don't you think that if everyone says it too much, it becomes meaningless? -shrugs- I don't own Avatar.

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**Comfort**

His father did everything right, in his eyes. Strength when it was needed, courage where it was wanted and comfort where it was asked. He was the best man there was, and he wanted to grow up exactly like his dad.

But there was one night, after his mom died, when his father was in a haze of anger and grief that he did something differently than usual.

"Dad, dad!" cried the boy, even though he was old enough not to come running at night. Tears streamed down his face, mind full of the horrors that he had seen.

He shook his father's shoulder, sobbing hard. His dad was still silently sitting in the snow, staring at the ground where her body had been.

"Dad, I had a nightmare, and mom died-!" He didn't get any farther than that, for Hakoda spun around and violently grabbed him by his shoulders, and inhuman fire burning in his eyes.

"Don't you ever say that to me again, you hear?!" he ordered harshly, shaking his son a bit. The boy nodded furiously, still crying.

---

Katara climbed, shaking, into his sleeping bag. He sleepily rolled over to face her, wondering why she was there, and why she looked so sad and frightened.

"S- Sokka," she hiccupped, holding him and gazing into his eyes. "I… I had a dream… mom died again…" fresh tears rolled down her face.

His eyes widened in realization, and he gathered her into his arms, stroking her hair, trying to calm the trembling, and whispering. "Shush, shush," comfortingly in her ear.

_That's one thing you did wrong, Dad, _thought Sokka.

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**Author's Notes:**

Please review, I always like to hear what you think.


	5. Memories

I'm alive! It's a miracle! I've decided to give you all this, since I'm being very cruel and allowing my writer's block to take over myself. -bows head in shame- But here's a little drabble that might help you forgive me.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Doubt it ever will be.

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**Memories**

Azula turned around, her features straight, almost frightened. When she saw her brother, her face broke into a genuine smile. She ran to him on stubby legs calling, "Zuzu, look! See-"

"-what you did?!" shrieked an eight-year-old sister, anger flashing terribly in her eyes, even at such a young age. It was building inside of her. "You made a-"

"-fool, our Uncle." She grinned maliciously at him, fire dancing just behind her eyes, and just underneath her skin. It was dangerous. "But you already-"

"-knew that this would happen sometime." Rasped a pinned down princess. Her voice was gone and there were wounds all over her body from the battle they were in. "You knew and I knew that you would get me some day. Go on, kill me, and-"

-that was the end of Azula.

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**Author's Notes:**

Interesting. Didn't know where that came from, or where the idea for the setup of the dialogue came from. It just popped into my brain, and you know what those things are like. They won't leave you alone until you writer 'em out.

Read and review, hope you enjoyed.


	6. My Son

Another one. I actually like this one, although it could have been written better. But I've rewritten it _many _times, and it just isn't working. This is the best that I've gotten.

Dislclaimer: No.

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**My Son**

She stood nervously, her child sleeping soundly in her arms. In front of her, dozens of mothers and their babies stood in a line, anxiously looking forward. At the beginning on the line, monks stood, hurrying in and out of a large entrance with the children, not permitting their parent to come with them inside. Every time they would return, exchange a few words, and walk away with a relieved smile on their faces, and another package.

As the line slowly inched forward, she thought of her feelings on the topic. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children here. There was no way that it could be her baby. The chance was tiny, so slim that it was hardly there.

But suppose it was her kid? Suppose as she stood there, they would come back out looking very solemn and serious, and she was told that yes, it was her child. What would she do then? What would the monks make her do? It was all very confusing, and if she told herself the truth, she would rather not think about it at all.

Finally she reached the front. A monk approached her, one that she knew fairly well, from his fame and her own experiences with him. He smiled genially and nodded to her as a greeting. She returned the gesture.

Before handing him her child, she bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "You'll see me in a bit, Aang," she whispered to her only half-awake son, then placed him in Gyatso's arms.

She stood there, nervously straining to see the airbender's form coming out of the large, dark room. Other mothers rocked back and forth on the balls of their feet, trying to see as well. One young woman collapsed into anxious tears, the stress of waiting breaking her down.

One by one the babies reappeared, arms stretching out for their mothers. They would all ask the same thing, and all would be given the same answer.

She was the last one waiting, and that worried her. After another minute full of twisting hands, Gyatso came back.

She took Aang and cuddled him before turning with frightened eyes to the monk.

"Is my son the Avatar?"

A shadow crossed Gyatso's eyes briefly, as though a cloud had passed over them. But then it was gone. He didn't smile, but he wasn't frighteningly serious either.

"No," he told her.

She gasped and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Again she cuddled Aang, almost weak-kneed.

"These are the toys that your son chose." The monk handed her four toys and she gratefully accepted them.

"Thank you," she whispered and walked away, a watery smile gracing her features. She had done it. She had walked away like every other mother here. She had asked the question, gotten the trite but wanted answer, and received four new toys for her baby boy. Everything was fine. Aang was an airbender, not the Avatar. Everything was fine.

Gyatso watched Aang and his mother retreating and shook his head ever so slightly, but extremely sadly, before taking the next child into his arms.

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**Author's Notes:**

This took actually very little time to write (if you don't count the revising and revising and revising and revising). Some parts of it I'm really not happy with, but if you like it, then that's alright, I suppose. -growls at drabble-

Please review after you've read.


	7. Humbled

I really like the idea of this one, but I figure that I could have written it better. Oh well, tell me what you think of it- I'm sick of trying to fix it.

Disclaimer: I love it, but I don't own it.

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**Humbled**

"Come on Katara, you have to do it!" urged the monk, grinning widely. He was leaning on the wall by the door to the cabin. Aang had definitely grown up. He was tall now, childish awkwardness gone, strong and sure in his movements.

"No, guys, I already told you," the waterbender was sitting cross-legged on the small bed, glaring at her friends who were all looking towards her.

"Come on Katara, it'll be a challenge," Toph informed her from her position on the floor.

"No," Katara flatly refused, crossing her arms.

All of them had grown up, and grown into their bodies. They were all young adults and great at what they did, whether it was bending or anything else.

"As soon as Aang mastered all the elements you stopped fighting with him." Pointed out Sokka, smirking. "Afraid he would bend up a huge typhoon or something?"

Katara looked away and said nothing. All the other occupants of the room took this as assent, and Aang's grin grew wider.

"Face it Katara, you just hate to lose," put in the new Fire Lord. He was lounging in a chair with his feet on the table.

The ship suddenly rocked, and everybody but Aang fell to the floor. They all looked up and listened expectantly. After a moment the five were rewarded with a cry, "Northern Water Tribe!" and the sound of people hurrying about above them.

"I don't hate to lose, because I don't lose," Katara snapped before thinking. She paused in getting up and dusting herself off, and winced.

"Great!" exclaimed Aang, already halfway out the door. "Then you can spar with Master Pakku this afternoon," and left along with everyone else.

Katara mouthed like a Koi fish before following.

---

The door of the council room banged open to reveal a shivering and soaking wet Katara. Chief Arnook, the Fire Lord, the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador, the Avatar and the Earth King's advisor snapped their hands around, staring.

Katara marched in with a murderous look on her face, making everyone in the room crack up except for Arnook, who just sat looking confused.

Katara stomped around to her seat and plopped herself down moodily. She refused to look at anyone, and stared at the table with her eyes half closed, still shivering slightly.

"So, how'd your spar with Pakku go?" asked Toph, grinning. Katara didn't answer.

"You lost to him, huh?" questioned Sokka, chuckling. Still no response from his little sister.

Aang shrugged, eyes dancing. "Well, it keeps you humble."

Katara's eyes flew open and her head whirled around to look at him. "AANG!" she shrieked before diving for the airbender. He stood up and sped away, Katara chasing him around the room, and the Avatar laughing and running, always faster.

Sokka and Toph guffawed, and Zuko turned to Arnook, looking slightly amused. The chief looked more confused than ever.

"Now as I was saying, the Fire Nation wants to trade…"

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**Author's Notes:**

Hmmm... the ending I'm not really happy with, but I guess it got across what I was trying to say.

Please, review and tell me what you think.


	8. His Faces

I actually really like this one. This idea has been rolling around in my head for a while, and even though Koh was a creepy character, I really liked him and felt that he was important. I also thought that the faces he showed in each shot were probably important too. I wish he would come back, he was cool.

Disclaimer: I'll make it short and sweet. I don't own Avatar.

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**His Faces**

He was supposed to be a god. He had built this world up from nothing. Everything here was of his creation, and yet, the higher beings played a joke on him. He was supposed to be a god. He had been First.

He was old enough to remember when the gods came, capturing talents and sucking them in, enhancing them to other-worldly power, and practicing, learning until they could control them. He had watched with envy, but awe had never consumed him. Only jealousy and rage.

He had watched as they all threw away everything that he had worked for, and replaced them with what they wanted. As he protested, they laughed in his face, and banished him to where he settled now, in the gloom, just watching and waiting, but never moving from his place.

So he got back at them by stealing the faces of their creatures. Whatever came, any emotion that they showed, and their faces would be gone. He relished in the power that he felt, and thought of the reaction that _they _would have once they found out that he had done it again.

He remembered each and every face that he had stolen, and what the circumstances were. Every situation and detail was etched into his mind, but instead of feeling regret or maybe even thinking of turning around, he felt deliciously fulfilled.

Many times he had hoped for salvation, perhaps to be let out from his damp and gloomy prison, but none helped him, and he added their faces to his collection.

He receded farther into the depths of his mind, and of his housing. Less and less hope registered in his mind, and more malice, anger and thoughts of revenge took up his waking hours. The darkness was consuming him, fueled by the reactions of things to him.

Terror, disgust and anger were what he normally saw. In fact, he saw them so much that he forgot what a happy face looked like. He felt need leave him, and only exist to be, and keep gathering more faces to him.

Then, once, a figure came to him, and he hoped once more. The Avatar, with armies, although what those were for he didn't find out until later.

But he thought that perhaps, perhaps he could be helped. Maybe if he just listened to the man, he would be surprised to hear that he wanted to set him free. And maybe then he could fix the wrong in the world.

But no. All the man did was throw around some idiocy about stealing the face of someone that he loved, and tried to slay him with all of his armies that he had brought with him, through the secret door to the spirit world. The one where you do not have to go into the Avatar State to enter through.

Enraged, he stole all of their faces, and was pushed deeper into himself. His last hope of maybe turning away from the path of darkness that he had set out upon had been a false one, and now he put his whole being into stealing faces. It was why he was here.

He would not listen to reason anymore. For whoever said it, it would be honeyed poison, fake words dripping off their tongue. They would turn on him eventually. If anyone came with a face, it was stolen. No more hesitations.

For he was Koh. He was supposed to be a god. He was First.

And it was too late.

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**Author's Notes:**

Hmmm, there I hope you like it. I'm not entirely happy with the ending, but it just wouldn't come out right, so I settled for this. It's pretty good, I guess.

Ahhhh, the feeling of writing something that you're not supposed to. It gets rid of my writer's block. XP

Read and reveiw please!


	9. Excuse Me For Caring

Another small drabble. I'm really on a roll with these things. But they're so much fun to write, and can be short, and don't have to have a continuing plot. They're just so much easier to write, even though that's really no excuse.

Dislcaimer: I've still got no Avatar.

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**Excuse Me For Caring**

He prided himself in being Water Tribe. Sure there was all that stuff about the balances, and no one nation being more important that another, but who but naïve little girls believed all of that?

He knew about the other nations. Specifically, the Fire Nation. How cruel and heartless they were. How they didn't care what happened to others, or the world, or even people of their own nation as long as they could achieve what they wanted.

And so, he had to wonder how he had gotten himself into this situation.

Looking back, he supposed that his pride in having Water Tribe morals wouldn't let him just walk away as Zuko was killed in cold blood by his psychotic sister, even though the exiled prince had been chasing him and his little group of friends since the beginning.

But sitting in a cell next to him, and having the prince every once in a while snapping at him for not achieving his goal was not his idea of a good time.

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**Author's Notes:**

I really thought that even though Sokka doesn't like Zuko, he is a good person and wouldn't just let him be killed by anyone, even if he knows that he would regret it later. Sokka just seems like that kind of guy, you know?


	10. A Letter Severely Lacking In Sympathy

Woohoo! Go Yue, kick Sokka's butt! ... Alrighty, calm down here, SylverEyes...

Disclaimer: ... I disclaim.

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**A Letter Severely Lacking in Sympathy**

I know how you feel, alright? And it's not as though I haven't felt this way before.

But I've moved on now. I need to look after what I do, and you need to look at what you do, instead of what has been. I know that it's painful, and it is hard to let go, but you have to do it.

I understood in the beginning, and mourned the same way you did, wishing and hoping somehow to do something about it. But then I accepted it, and I need you to do the same thing. For the both of us.

It's not that I don't love you anymore. I always will. But there's no way that this could ever work out, and it's not as though I am the only person in your life. If you can't let go, at least turn to your sister, and Aang, and tell them about your pain. They want to help you, as I'm trying to do.

It's been a while, and I can't feel so sympathetic towards you. You don't seem to understand that there are others out there who love you, and need you to.

Look to other people. You don't know what you're missing. I know for sure that a certain warrior girl in green would like a little more attention from you.

She's beautiful, just like I knew she would be. She keeps you in your place, but she's a fighter, too. And she wants to help make you feel better. Do this for the both of us, and if you're happy, then I will be too.

So please, Sokka, love me, don't forget me, but don't hesitate about Suki. Even in the moonlight; you know that I'll be watching over you. The both of you.

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**Author's Notes:**

I like this one. I really wish that this was something you could see, because then I could convey the feelings better, but unfortunately, this isn't in the show, so that's a bit of a problem.

Read and review please, and I hope you liked it.


	11. Heartache

I like this one. It's kind of dark, though, I suppose.

Disclaimer: Um... I... don't claim Avatar.

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**Heartache**

The baby girl was half-dozing in the moonlight, smiling sleepily at those gathered around her as she snuggled deeper into her warm covers protecting her from the cold outside world of the North Pole.

She had a head full of curly brown hair, and blue eyes shone brightly from a bed of smooth, dark skin. One fist was tightly curled around the corner of a pelf covering her, and she absentmindedly sucked on it every once in a while.

The faces crowding her were grinning widely, almost giddily, as they watched her and marveled at her every move. Life was breathing, beating strongly and easily in the little human child, and they wanted to watch every moment of it.

He smiled her at sadly, blue eyes dark, knowing that he could have had a child like that, if only the gods had given him the chance. But no- they never wanted him to have a family- that was for sure. So he would be content with wishing and wondering, and loving the children of others.

She had tears in her eyes as she watched her child drifting off to sleep with each passing moment. It was amazing that this tiny child was hers, she had had it. And now it lived with her, and she was a mother. She put her arm around her husband and leaned on his shoulder, smiling.

He smiled as well, not believing that this was actually his. But he could already feel love stirring in his heart for her, and knew that he would protect his daughter with everything that he had.

In a corner, shadows throwing dark purple and blue colors on her skinny frame, and young woman looked up with blue eyes that were almost black. They had changed color ever since… ever since…

"Let me at it," she rasped, standing up and tugging at the chains that held her arms to the wall of packed snow and ice. Her hair was loose and dirty, as was her skin. She could not be bothered to take care of herself anymore.

The young man turned around and gazed at her, the grief and pain in his mirror image of her eyes clearly evident. His jaw clenched, and he told her, "No. I'm sorry."

Her eyes flashed, and her mouth twisted into a scowl of rage. "We can't let that thing live! It can't live, no…!" she trailed off, staring at the bundle of energy lying in a cradle.

He walked over to her, and lifted her chin up from its hanging position to look him in the eyes. "It's over. This is Aang. This is Aang." He told her in a soothing but firm voice.

Those dark eyes clouded over. "Aang…" she focused on the baby in the cradle. "Aang, don't you remember me? It's me, Katara!" but there was no answer from the baby.

"That's not Aang!" the man flinched. "Aang knows me! That's not him. That doesn't love me. That doesn't know me. That's not the Avatar!"

Sokka dropped his hand from his sister's chin and took a step back, regarding her. She was the pain, a wound that refused to heal, it was apparent in her eyes, and she wrenched her limbs away from the wall, trying to reach that baby with a burning passion of fury in her eyes.

She was so far gone. Too far gone. There was nothing that he could do for her now. He understood her, but he would not unchain her, even though she was kin, as she reminded him in a poisonously sweet voice at night, when he was trying to sleep.

"_Just let me go. I won't do anything. I promise. Just let me out. I feel so alone, so cold. I want to be with people again. You would keep your own sister tied up?"_

When he wouldn't answer, she would yell at him again. No one lived near the two, but Sokka wouldn't desert his sister.

"_I'm your blood relative! Not these flimsy people! Aang would have let me go… Aang…"_

The parents of the new Avatar flinched at her harsh words, and moved back, each putting a hand on their child. Their baby girl could sense the tension and anger in the room, and started bawling, a quick change from her previous happy state.

Sokka turned with an apologetic look on his face toward them, but they ignored him, the hurt in their eyes plain. It had been like this ever since they had found out that their daughter was the Avatar.

"This is Aang." Sokka whispered to himself, so quietly he wondered whether or not it was in his head or out loud. "This is Aang. This is Aang reborn."

It was all he could do to stop from succumbing to his sister's state of mind, for their friend's death had torn at him too. Toph, too, had been hurt deeply, and she had returned to the Earth Kingdom to hone her earthbending and metalbending skills further. She was currently living alone in the mountains. As far as he knew, she was scaring off travelers trying to cross the place. Their group was torn apart.

"Kill it," spat Katara hoarsely. "Kill it."

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**Author's Notes:**

What is with me and endings? I can never seem to get them the way that I want them. But, this one's okay, I guess. Better than some others that I've done.

Review and tell me what you think, please.


	12. A Blue Mask

Get ready for a _very _long drabble- it's basically a oneshot. Sorry about that, but I don't want to make it a oneshot, it just doesn't seem to fit, so I'm going to leave it in this drabble series.

Disclaimer: Every day, I wish I owned it. Every day.

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**A Blue Mask**

The fire shone brightly on the old woman sitting calmly on a chair and the group of children sitting around her feet, gazing up eagerly at her. She smiled softly at them and they grinned back, impatiently waiting for their story that they knew would come.

"What story would you like to hear today?" the woman asked kindly, her eyes sparkling at their energy and enthusiasm in her tales.

"One about the White Witch of the North Pole!" cried one young girl, standing up and making swishing movements with her arms. "About how she defeated the whole Fire Nation army by herself!"

"That's stupid!" shouted a little boy, jumping up as well. "The White Witch isn't real. I want a story about the Wolf Warrior from the South Pole, and how he took out the whole Earth Kingdom like that!" he clapped his hands together, eyes wide.

The girl glared at him. "The White Witch was to real! My mommy told me that when she finished them, her spirit was so tired that the gods took her right into the spirit world and let her live forever!"

All the boys in the room laughed at this. "Yeah right! The Wolf Warrior was cooler. He had gigantic weapons that could take out ten- no- twenty people at the same time, and then wasn't bloody at all!"

A girl from the corner snorted loudly. "That's dumb." She looked towards the old woman who looked amused, earnestly. "I want to hear a story about the Tiny Tornado. She was the only earthbender in history to take on the whole Fire Nation capital and win, because she could bend metal and earth!"

Laughs erupted around the room. "Who told you that?" asked a boy with shining brown eyes, thinking about his idol. "They're all fake, except for the Inferno. His fire melted the whole North Pole in one go!"

A flurry of arguing broke out between the young children, and the old woman watched it for a moment, smiling, before saying quietly, "You all have such wild imaginations."

They all stopped immediately, ready and willing to listen to whatever the woman was going to say.

"But I have to tell you that in every legend is a trickle of truth, from which a well of fantastical things is sprung. For are our lives naught but stories themselves?" As the kids tried to muddle that one out, the old woman smiled and thought to herself. _That one's for you, Dragon of the West._

The confused looks remained on their faces, but were wiped away once their storyteller said, "I won't tell you a story about any of them tonight."

Disappointed sighs were heard from all of the children, and their faces became downcast. "But…" all looked up, smiling again. "I will tell you a story about the Blue Spirit."

"Who's the Blue Spirit?" asked the girl who had first spoken.

"The Blue Spirit is a spirit who lives in our world. He looks like a human, except for a blue face with huge white fangs growing out of his mouth!" Gasps came from the girls, and the boys looked extremely excited.

"He haunts Earth Kingdom towns… just like this one!" They all unconsciously drew back a bit, but remained transfixed to what the woman was saying.

"He wears to broadswords across his back, and he is like the Avatar; he can use all of the elements to help him defeat whoever he is fighting. Sometimes he uses both the swords and the bending at the same time, making him a deadly opponent.

Now, I'm going to tell you a story about the Fire Lord and the Blue Spirit, for they met one time. Oh yes," she nodded. "Sometimes he comes to see people that he feels can help him in whatever he is doing.

"So that night, the Blue Spirit crept into the Fire Lord's bedroom. He was so quiet, that no one would have been able to hear him, even if they were awake. So he gave the Fire Lord quite a shock when he woke him up.

"Now, the Fire Lord had heard of the Blue Spirit, and he had an idea of what the Blue Spirit was here for, because he knew that the Blue Spirit needed a human body to live in every ten years so that he as a spirit won't disappear forever.

"The Fire Lord didn't want to have the Blue Spirit living in him, because he had heard the stories about how people had gone crazy, or done every single thing that the spirit had told them to. So he gathered up his courage to talk to the Blue Spirit.

"The Blue Spirit floated up onto the bed. 'Fire Lord Zuk-" the old woman coughed and put a hand on her chest. "I mean… he said, 'Fire Lord Zukon. I am here, because the spirits have told me that you would make a good vessel for me.'

"Zukon shook his head, 'Oh no, Blue Spirit,' he said. 'I'm afraid I can't, for you see, my nation is very sick right now, and I can't pay any attention to anything else.'

"The Blue Spirit laughed. 'Oh, but Fire Lord Zukon, I can make your nation well again. We can rebuild together, and ten years will pass before you know it. Soon, I will no longer be in your body, and you can go on again. It will be like nothing ever happened.'

"Again Zukon shook his head and he protested, 'No, there is a plague swimming throughout my nation, and I must look after the people at the palace who have gotten sick. I must attend to them.' He said craftily.

"The Blue Spirit was becoming irritated. You could tell that he wanted to reach for his broadswords. 'Then I will help you care for them and make them better. I need your body to host my spirit!'

"Zukon's eyes glittered. 'It's not that I don't want to be your vessel, but I'm afraid that I might have caught the plague, and I don't want to get you sick.' And the Fire Lord began to cough and hack furiously, causing the Blue Spirit to be blown off the bed with the force.

"The Blue Spirit looked fearfully at Fire Lord Zukon and thought to himself. 'He's just saying this so that I will use him and get sick myself! Well, I'm onto him.' And he left out the window, laughing to himself.

"Fire Lord Zukon smiled and lay back asleep knowing that he wouldn't be hosting the dangerous Blue Spirit within him any time soon."

The children, wide eyed and hopeful, all cheered when they heard this. They immediately started jabbering about their new favorite hero, and if they liked the Blue Spirit or not.

The old woman just sat back and watched them. It could have been the moonlight, but it almost looked as though she had tears in her blue eyes and a sad smile on her face. Then she shook her head and said, "Well, your parents will be wondering where you are. Go on, shoo, all of you!"

They all obeyed her, still talking and arguing in loud voices. The woman smiled and added in a spookier voice, "If you're loud, the Blue Spirit might hear you, and come and try to get you!"

It was amazing how quickly they quieted down after that.

Once all of them were safely back in their homes, the woman stood slowly and made her way out to the forest right by the town. She had requested a hut on the fringe of the trees, just for this purpose.

She looked up, watching the trees swish gently in the breeze, and the soft, pale moonlight fall in between the branches, spattering the ground with patches of light and dark. The old lady sighed as she looked up at it, wishing that there was a pond somewhere nearby, where she could practice.

A single tear trickled down her cheek as she whispered to herself, "I wish it had happened like that."

_Katara laughed as she moved the water about, spinning it above her head and letting it drop, splashing her, back into the river she was standing in. There was no purpose or point to her waterbending. She was bending for the pure joy of it, and the love of water. The feeling of the rushing water around her legs, and the cool breeze that glided above the top all made her feel joyous and alive._

_A prickling sensation began to claw its way up her back, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight. She could feel something watching her._

_As she kept waterbending, not turning around, she listened hard, but there was no noise made. However, Katara was not still alive today by ignoring her instincts. _

_Goosebumps appeared all over her body, and the playful breeze had turned into a cold wind, whipping her white underclothes around her legs. She could feel the presence coming closer, but still it made no noise that she heard._

_Katara spun around, throwing an ice spike at whoever (or whatever) was behind her, watching her with those deathly cold eyes._

_It was blocked by a broadsword, and fell to the ground with a clatter, where it shattered into many crystalline pieces._

_The waterbender looked up. Blue eyes met empty black holes, and she took a step back, raising a stream of water to protect her in case it wanted to attack, which it looked inclined to do, from the broadswords._

_But a closer look at the face revealed that it was a dark blue, with gleaming white fangs growing out of the mouth. And, in fact, it wasn't even a face at all. It was a mask, and one that she knew well._

_But that didn't make her any less frightened, or any less on her guard. She had heard the tales, and the stories. She knew what had happened, after the war had ended. And she did not want to become one of those stories._

"_Zuko…" she said cautiously, taking yet another step back into the river, and hoping she didn't reach the center, where the tide was strong enough to whisk her downstream in the blink of an eye._

_There was a moment of silence. Then…_

"_It's been a long time since anyone has called me that…" a hoarse voice issued from under the terrifying visage._

"_What are you doing here?" asked Katara, feeling a little more at ease, but not enough to put down the water, let alone approach him._

"_I was just watching you."_

_It wasn't really the answer to her question, but she let that slide and sighed, biting her lip. "How are the others?"_

"_They're all fine."_

_He didn't seem like he was in a very talkative mood tonight. Katara stifled a giggle at that frivolous thought and mentally shook herself. He was dangerous; she needed to keep her guard up!_

_But she had known him from before. When he was proud and willing to be around people. When he used to have strong opinions that got him into arguments with her and his friends. When he had fought in the war. When he didn't feel the need to hide his face behind a mask. When he was called Zuko._

"_Zuko," she decided to take a chance. "You have to go back."_

_He didn't answer._

"_You've left your country in a civil war! Now that you've left, there's no immediate family to take the throne, and all the distant cousins are all out fighting for it. The Fire Nation will be torn apart!"_

"_No,"_

_It was not shouted or screamed at her. He did not shake her or hit her. He had not even raised his voice at all, but Katara had never heard such absolute refusal in her life._

"_The Fire Nation is a nation of bad memories. Of war and terror and cruelty. I am free now. I am away from that."_

_Katara felt like crying. This man was the rightful heir to the throne. She had to get him to go back! "It was before, but now that the war is over, it isn't. We all got over our bad memories, and though they will never go away, we do not hold it against the Fire Nation. We have made peace, and you need to do that as well."_

_He shook his head. "No," Zuko repeated. _

_Tears spilled over, and she strained to see the gold orbs underneath the mask. "I know your family was killed, all of them in one blow. But you cannot just leave and live your days out haunting and hurting other people."_

_He turned away._

_Katara heard a splash, and realized that she had fallen to her knees, the tears streaming down her face now. How could she get him to understand? "Please, Zuko. Please."_

"_No. Now, I am free."_

_And he was gone. _

_Katara shakily got to her feet. She had failed to make him see. With a furious passion that Katara didn't know she still had, she whirled and drove a long stream of ice deeply into a tree trunk._

The old woman looked up at the moon, who still stared down at her, as though trying to comfort her. "I don't know where he is now," Katara whispered to herself, "But I hope he's okay."

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**Author's Notes:**

So, how'd you like it. I know that it's kind of a stretch, and I'm not sure if you'll have the patience to read it all, but I liked it. I'm really focusing on angsty Katara lately. I think I'll go write something at the other end of the spectrum, like happy Aang. That always makes me feel better. Or Sokka, cause he makes me laugh.

Please review. Thank you. XD


	13. Cave of Mirrors

This is my own little drabble thingy that I based off of Jakia's "Five Caves Katara Never Made It Out Of", the Cave of Mirrors part (with her permission). Go read it, it's a very good fic.

Disclaimer: I basically own nothing. Not Avatar, and not the idea. That's Jakia's.

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**Cave of Mirrors**

She stood there, at the fork in the path and looked at the mirrors.

She didn't know whether they actually were mirrors. Going up to one, she put her hand up to it, but she didn't see herself. She saw a stiff, silent woman who is the greatest waterbender in the world.

It was freezing to the touch, but almost bendable, like water halfway between freezing and melting. She quickly drew her hand away and stared at the picture of the blue-eyed person before turning around and heading down the right path.

There she saw a beautiful woman who used other people to her advantage, and always got what she wanted. She looked at this one for a while too, before going back to where the path split.

There was no path down the middle.

First she went down the left one, passing by every mirror. The women inside watched her as she passed, and she studied them too.

She repeated this down the right path came back as well, before standing in the middle and staring again at the blackness that yawned at her, where there should have been a middle path.

"Is there no way to have everything I want?" she whispered to herself. "Is there no way to be a warrior and a mother? Is there no way to be a great waterbender and to be happy? Do I really have to choose?

"Or are these all what I already am?"

She could feel herself starting to become angry at the injustice of it all. Couldn't she decide what she wanted, instead of just having everything planned out for her, and just having to go along with it?

Some sort of dam burst inside of her, and she seized the mirror on the left side, the one with the great waterbender. Heaving it off the cave wall, she hurled it against the opposite side, and watched it shatter into millions of sparkling water droplets.

The beautiful woman was next.

Then the warrior. The mother. The wise old woman. The happy best friend. The grieving sister. The love struck young woman.

When she was done, she waded through the inches of freezing water on the ground, back to the beginning of the path, where it forked.

And she started to forge her way into the darkness.

Into the middle.

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**Author's Notes:**

-gulp-

I hope it lived up to Jakia's writing standard. I would hate to see that I ruined it with my idea. -smacks head- That would be awful!

Please review, especially if you've read Jakia's original oneshot/drabble.


	14. Moon

A drabble that I got the idea from Flowerperson, who wrote a drabble called 'Moon'. Go read it! It's good. The beginning part is basically the same, but the second half is different than hers, because I think... well... you'll see.

Disclaimer: Idea- Flowerperson, Avatar- Nick

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**Moon**

"Why does your brother do that?"

Katara hadn't even noticed Zuko coming to sit beside her. She jumped slightly. Both teens glanced over to where Sokka was staring up at the moon sadly, as he did every night.

"Do what?"

"Look at the moon?"

Katara shook her head. How was she supposed to explain this, how deep the hurt went, how much he had cared for her, how much he still missed her even now. Casting around, she settled on. "It symbolizes someone who he lost. Someone he really cared about."

Zuko looked at Sokka differently, as though he saw a completely new person in the young Water Tribe warrior. "Oh."

The next night, Katara was watching Sokka staring at the moon again. He sighed silently, but she could see his back expand and then go back. She blinked to keep the tears from overflowing her blue eyes.

A figure sat down by Sokka. Golden eyes stared up at the moon as well. Neither boy said anything. Sokka didn't move away, either. They just both stared up at the soft orb hanging in the sky.

Finally Zuko said, without taking his eyes off the moon. "I'm sorry."

His companion didn't even blink. "It's okay."

After a moment of silence that wasn't awkward, he asked. "Who was it?"

The exiled prince replied, "My mother."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

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**Author's Notes:**

I really think that once they get over themselves, there's room for a great "friendship"... sorta... between Sokka and Zuko. They have a lot in common, and like a lot of the same things. They could rant together (little sisters being better than you, not appreciated, always having bad things happen to you), and generally have a "good time".

Please review and tell me what you think.


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